Liberal call for suicide prevention strategy supported by Tories

OTTAWA — More than simply a personal tragedy, Liberal leader Bob Rae said Tuesday that suicide is a key public policy issue and preventing it requires a national strategy.

The Liberals tabled a motion in the House of Commons calling on the Harper government to work with provinces, territories, aboriginal groups and other key stakeholders to create a national suicide prevention strategy that would, as the motion reads, “promote a comprehensive and evidence-driven approach.”

The motion was supported by the Conservative party.

During a morning news conference, Rae said he expected that as MPs in the House debated the motion throughout the day, many would share personal stories about how mental illness and suicide had touched their lives.

Ten Canadians will die today by their own hand, a per capita rate three times as high as that of the United States, Rae wrote in an op-ed published the same day.

It is the leading cause of death in men between the ages of 25 to 29 and 40 to 44, and women between the ages of 30 to 34. It is the second leading cause of death among adolescents.

Seven provinces already have suicide prevention strategies, but Fry said it’s time various levels of government, schools, the health care community and the private sector come together to create a national strategy.